Curtain-fixture



(No Model.)

- P. M.v KELLY.

CURTAIN FIXTURE..

Patented July UNITED STAT-Es *PATENT errore@ y FRANK M. KELLY, OAF VVATERTOWN, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO CHARLES WV. BASSETT, OF NEWTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

CURTAIN-FIXTURE.

sPEeIFIeArIoN forming part of Letters Patent No. 280,833, dated July 1o, 188e.

Application filed May14,1883. .(No model.)

fo au whom, it may concern: v

Be it known that I, FRANK M. KELLY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Vatertown, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Curtain-Fixtures, and I do hereby declare that the same are fully described in the following speeiiieation, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

This invention is in the nature of an improvement upon that for which Letters Iatent NojliAO() were granted August 25, 187 4, to A. H. Knapp. vSaid Knapp invention provided for spring-balance curtain-xtures friction-bearings of simple felt; and this invention has gone into extensiveuse, the bearings being cut or punched in rings from sheets or strips of very heavy and firm felt, and employed within the cavity-of the roller, or of the bracket, or both. This plan, while'producing an admirable bearing, involves great waste of an expensive material, since the pieces punched out of each ring and the mate rial remaining after the ringshave all been cut from the sheet constitute a largepercentage of the whole, and, as waste, are of comparatively little value. The punches required are also numerous and costly and demand frequent grinding, while the item for labor is otherwise very considerable. The present improvement dispenses with these punches and avoids the waste incident to their use, together with much of the labor involved in the former plan; and the invention consists in the hereindescribed process of forming such bearings and in the article thereby produced, as will be explained. The roller-spindle has an enlargement of soft metal east upon it to hold stationary the felt bearing in position to support .and act frictionally upon the bore of the tubular roller, or of its cap. Upon this softmetal lugs or projections are formed to hold the felt in place during rotation of the roller, and corresponding recesses are formed inthe felt placed thereon. The felt is applied in the form of a flat strip cut from the end of a long narrow piece of the material, which piece is thick enough for the width of the bearing, andl wide enough for the length of such bearing-that is, so that the strip cnt will extend entirely around the soft-metal enlargement, to which it is held by the lugs on it entering recesses in the felt, and by the bore of the roller or cap surrounding and pressing with friction upon it.

The drawings illustrate this method of forming the felt strips for bearings and their apy plieation to the spindle, Figure l showing a piece of the thiol; felt grooved on each side and near each edge, and Fig. 2 representing a strip cut from the yend thereof, of suitable dimensions for a bearing, the recesses (to fit the lugs) having been formed by a saw or planer, making continuous grooves before the piece is sliced into bearing-strips. Fig 3 represents the spindle with its soft-metal enlargement, and Fig. 4 the same with the felt strip applied. Fig. 5 isa transverse section through the bearing at x x.

A is the spindle; B, the soft-metal cast thereon, with lugs or shoulders C. D is the felt bearing-strip wrapped about the part B and held in place by the projections C, and also by the walls of the tubular roller E, which keep the strip D from straightening out when the parts are put in position for use. The peculiar qualities of the felt as a friction-bearing are quite as available under this construction as inthe form of solid rings set forth in the Knapp patent.

The piece of felt (lettered F in the perspective view, Fig. l) is, as stated, as thick as the width of the bearing, as wide as the length of the strip D forming the bearing, and of any convenient length. Grooves G are formed therein by saws or planers, and the piece is then cut transversely into strips D by a sharp reciprocating or rotary cutter.

I claim as my invention l. The herein-described process of forming friction-bearings from a flat piece of felt, consisting in grooving such piecelongitudinally, so as to form retaining-notches, and cutting said piece transversely and crosswise of said grooves into strips, each adapted to be interposed as afriction-bearing between the spindle and the roller, substantially as set forth.

2. A felt-bearing formed as a straight strip (in distinction from :L ring) and held in its ment around and lengthwise o' the Spindle, V1o curved position on the spindle by the sur- Substantially as Set forth. rounding walls of J[he Spling-olm-inber, sub1 In testimony whereof I hereto affix my stantinlly as set forth. i nature in presence of two witnesses.

3. A friction-healing foleulftain-rollers the T f f-Y ,v saine consisting o1" :i Strip of felt wmliped FR'AL k M khLI :n'ound the spindle, or am enlargement thereof7 fitnessesz and held in position by J(he bore of the roller, )HARLES XV. BASSBLYI, or its emp, und by lugs which prevent its lnove- A. H. SPENCER. 

